Journalist acquitted of defaming agency boss

A journalist has been cleared of defaming an American talent agency boss accused of assaulting a child during a talent competition held in Dubai.

Mazhar Farooqui, who works for the Gulf News-affiliated Xpress newspaper, attended the talent show at a hotel in Jumeirah Beach Residence in May last year.

There he met a Pakistani TV show host whose daughter was taking part in the competition.

Farooqui testified that he saw the woman and her 15-year-old daughter crying and surrounded by police officers.

When he approached them the host told him she had filed a complaint with police against the American for assaulting the teenager.

The woman told Farooqui that the American agency boss had grabbed her daughter by the arms and thrown her to the ground.

A medical report from Rashid Hospital showed that the girl had bruises on her shoulders.

The woman gave him an interview, a copy of the police report she filed at Barsha police station and a copy of her daughter’s medical report.

Farooqui, who is an Indian national and edits Xpress, then contacted the casting agency for a comment before publishing the story a few days later.

The American – who was not named in the newspaper article – then filed a complaint against Farooqui, accusing him of defamation.

On March 12, in his first appearance at Dubai Court of Misdemeanours before judge Ayman Abdul Hakam, Farooqui denied a charge of defamation.

Yesterday the judge acquitted Farooqui, saying there was no evidence of criminal intent nor breach of privacy.

The judge said he had only reported a legitimate police complaint made about an incident that happened in a public place.